Creating a birth journal is personal and meaningful. More than a photo album, a birth journal will prepare you for and document one of the most important and personal events of your life. Here is how to make your own special journal.

1. Make it personal. Choose a 3-ring binder with paper of your choice, a scrap book, photo album, or simply a notebook – whatever reflects your personality and feels comfortable to you.

2. Before your baby’s birth, write your dreams and aspirations in the birth journal. Also include specific plans for the upcoming birth – when you are in labor, it is not easy to think straight and remember all those details that make up your ideal birth plan. Be specific, such as: ...[Read more]...

Children have a natural fascination with growing things. You can foster that natural interest by introducing them to organic gardening. Here are some ideas for participating with your kids in the organic garden.

1. Start small, and maybe even indoors. Sprout alfalfa seeds, chives, or other easy-growers in the window sill.

2. Consider container gardening for your child’s first outdoor organic garden. Container gardening is very flexible, and lends itself easily to organic methods. Tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, and other vegetables can be grown in containers. Many flowers and herbs do well in pots as well. Because the plants are contained, problems like insects and weeds are easier to manage by organic means. ...[Read more]...

Depression is a difficult problem that often goes undetected in the sufferer. It can have a paralyzing effect, wrapping the depressed person in a fog of darkness that prevents him or her from thinking clearly and getting help.

It seems so enormous and overwhelming that many sufferers give up without even trying to help themselves. However, writing can be very therapeutic for a depressed person, especially because it does not involve having to face people (which can be difficult). While seeking therapy, counseling, and possibly medication are important steps to take in getting help, writing definitely has a place in healing from depression.

Sea vegetables are not, botanically speaking, really vegetables. But they can be eaten as or with vegetables, they are green and leafy, and “sea vegetable” somehow sounds more palatable than “seaweed”! Sea vegetables are amazing foods. In Japan, they are a staple food that is fried, steamed, boiled, toasted, etc.

Sea vegetables are eaten by coastal-dwelling people all over the world. Practitioners of a macrobiotic diet – a Japanese-based, vegetarian diet and overall lifestyle that has been reported to alleviate cancer – incorporate large amounts of sea vegetables into their dishes, often serving them in some form for every meal.

Berries are some of the most healthful foods, and summer is the season of the berry. From strawberries to blueberries to cherries, summer brings these healthful fruits to our tables. They are more affordable in summer, being in season. Here are some of the more commonly available berries and their health benefits.

1. Strawberries

These popular fruits are the base for desserts and snacks that range from simple to decadent. Like most berries, though, their health benefits are best obtained by eating them raw.

These tasty fruits have high levels of vitamin C, antioxidants and phenols. They also contain notable amounts of manganese. Their red color indicates their high concentration of antioxidants, particularly anthocyanins. These and other nutrients, such as potassium, combine to make strawberries helpful in preventing cancer, decreasing inflammation, and protecting the heart. They are even implicated in promoting joint health. ...[Read more]...